Measure car engine speed RPM via the cigarette lighter @AppliedScience

Measure car engine speed RPM via the cigarette lighter @AppliedScience

Uploaded May 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

I setup my new oscilloscope to measure a car's engine speed by connecting to the cigarette lighter. The inductive kicks from the ignition coil provide a timing signal that can be used to calculate RPM. In this particular car (a DeLorean), the engine fires unevenly by design, so the inductive kicks are not all regularly spaced.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V6_engine

ranwhenparked.net/2010/09/14/what-lies-beneath-the-controversial-prv-engine-part-3

Measure car engine speed RPM via the cigarette lighter

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Measure car engine speed RPM via the cigarette lighter